Aliso Viejo-based burger chain Johnny Rockets sold

The owner of Johnny Rockets, RedZone Capital Management, has sold the Aliso Viejo-based burger chain to a private equity firm that targets underperforming and specialty companies.

Johnny Rockets and new owner Sun Capital Partners, whose restaurant portfolio includes Captain D's, Fazoli's and Boston Market, did not disclose the purchase price. John Fuller, the chain's chief executive, said RedZone is happy with the deal.

“They got a positive return on their investment,” Fuller said Tuesday.

The sale, announced Monday night, comes six years after RedZone bought Johnny Rockets, a 1950s-era burger chain founded by Ronn Teitelbaum in 1986. The retro burger chain didn't meet RedZone's initial growth expectations.

RedZone, a private equity firm controlled by Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, purchased Johnny Rockets in 2007. At the time, the company said it had plans to expand the 200-unit chain to about 1,000 locations. Johnny Rockets currently has about 300 restaurants in 30 states and 16 countries, including more than a dozen inside amusement parks and on cruise ships.

“They bought the company in March 2007, before everything hit the skids,” Fuller said. “Their timing for buying was unfortunate.”

While large-scale expansion never materialized, Fuller said Johnny Rockets is a growing company. Over the next 12 months, the chain is expected to open 40 international and 20 domestic restaurants.

Fuller said Johnny Rockets, which is experiencing flat to negative same-store sales in its current quarter, will leverage Sun Capital's buying power to reduce costs.

“All indications are for us to keep doing what we're doing. They like our story and they like what we've done. They just want to help us be better,” Fuller said.